Do trainers still get in the water with whales?
Do trainers still get in the water with whales? SeaWorld spokeswoman Aimee Jeansonne-Becka said the company does not need the lift floors anymore; trainers no longer perform in the water with killer whales.
Did Dawn love Tilikum?
Dawn Brancheau developed a “close bond” with a SeaWorld orca called Tilikum. “He had a great relationship with her, and she had a great relationship with him. I do believe that he loved her, and I know that she loved him,” said John Hargrove, a senior trainer. Unfortunately, love wasn't enough to save her.
Do trainers still swim with orcas?
SeaWorld apparently did not see it that way, and the killer whale shows have continued as before, only now the trainers do not perform any water work with the orcas. This of course saves trainers from being attacked but does nothing to relieve orcas from the frustrations and anxieties of incarceration.
Why did SeaWorld stop trainers in the water?
OSHA came back with the decision that SeaWorld was obligated to protect their trainers from any known risk, and having them in the water with the ocean's top predator was way too dangerous to ever have happen again. So the ruling stood, despite many appeals to judges in various levels of court.
Were trainers allowed to swim with Tilikum?
SeaWorld Orlando has always known that Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca that killed trainer Dawn Brancheau on Wednesday, could be a particularly dangerous killer whale. SeaWorld trainers were forbidden from swimming with Tilikum, as they often did with the resort's seven other orcas.
When did SeaWorld stop letting trainers in the water?
OSHA imposed the ban following an investigation into a Feb. 24, 2010, incident in which a 12,000-pound killer whale named Tilikum pulled Dawn Brancheau underwater, drowning the trainer at the Orlando theme park. The court's administrative law judge ruled that SeaWorld's safety program is inadequate.
When was the last time an orca killed a trainer?
Tilikum pulled SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau into the water in 2010, killing her after a show at the theme park. In the wake of Brancheau's death, SeaWorld removed trainers from the water and implemented new safety procedures.